In Realms Dreaming, Nightmares Sing
by PerfectBrave
Summary: The Elemental Nations are by far more dangerous then civilians give credit. When people sleep, nightmares are made real. It takes monsters to kill monsters, and a ninja village certainly doesn't raise humans... Darker Narutoverse, NO BASHING.


Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, don't make money off it, ect ect..

Summary: This story features... Well, this is an AU, mainly because of what I refer to as "alternate character interpretation". This is not an excuse for me to make characters OOC, it's simply a darker, more dangerous world, and character changes reflect this new universe. There will be NO BASHING AT ALL. None. Focus will mostly be on Team Seven and Team Sarutobi, with slightly more focus then canon has for side characters. This is just the prologue, setting the scene. If you have any commentary, I accept PM's, or review, whichever suits you more. Last thing, if this chapter is slightly confusing, don't worry, it will make more sense once the "real" story starts.

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An arm was raised, the fist clenched. It swung, and the hand opened, whatever contained within soaring deep into the night, no indication of it's passing. Although there was no light to be seen, its progress was tracked steadily, eyes following it clearly. The eyes were those of a small child, whose size was indicative of an age under ten. Three whiskers running across both sides of his face were the only things that might have differentiated him from any other child. His legs swung in the air, his body perched on a rock at the edge of the wall containing Konoha.

The silence was deafening. Just hours earlier, Konoha had been loud and bustling, but now, all was silent. People knew better then to wander around during the night. The only lights shining were in the homes of the rich, those who could afford protective measures. Lights and sounds were a beacon to the denizens of the night, and only those who had silencing seals in their homes dared to make any noise.

On a normal such night, the streets would have some ninja in them, not that anybody would notice their existence. A good ninja was both unseen and unheard, and the nighttime tested the abilities of even the best. However, this night was that of the new moon, and no moonlight was there to illuminate the streets. The number of people that would dare stray outside of their protection on such a night numbered in the hundreds, out of the millions upon millions of people that dotted the elemental nations.

In a distant corner of the village, another boy sat, this time on a porch, staring out at the surrounding houses. "Don't worry, just wait," he whispered. "Just a little longer." His eyes, blood red, gazed out, looking at nothing in particular. The single pupil swam around the outside, orbiting the center of the eye. He spoke to the darkness, and the night replied to him.

Deep within the forests of Konoha, a woman stood, kunai in either hand, teeth bared in a silent snarl. In front of her, a tree stood, sap dripping from the hundreds of gashes. Without pause, she continued her work, slashing at it, furiously slicing it. She stood in the darkness, and it stared back.

A man with silver hair, the lower half of his face covered lay on the ground. Behind him sat a huge stone, etched with names. His right hand ran over a series of letters over and over, continually, his left hand clutching the respective eye. The night pressed down on him, overbearing pressure crushing down. He did not make a sound, but his face betrayed the agony he was in. Slowly, steadily, he dragged his left hand down, revealing the eye it hid. Tears of blood trickled down his face, soon absorbed by the mask. He gazed into the darkness, and it gazed back.

The child sat on the edge of the wall, staring out into the darkness. Had anybody been there, they might have wondered what he was looking at, especially since there was no light to be seen. He stared into the darkness, and night whispered back. Eventually, the child rose, standing up in a smooth motion. He turned towards the village, eyes fixated on a lone corner. There was no light, but his eyes glowed red.

The night howled, and the world screamed, yet almost nobody heard it. It rushed by, a wave of energy, the more sensitive turning in their beds, beset by an uncomfortable feeling. The night spoke to the chosen, and they heard its words.


End file.
